I wonder what powers them; there may be a propane tank mounted somewhere.

Or maybe batteries, inverter, and a belt drive ofrm an axle like a cabin car setup.

Just some thoughts.

Its diesel powered, you can see the tank in the shadows of the frame.

If you look on shapeways with the term "reefer unit" or similar terms, many of these things are on there.  If its the wrong scale, message the shop owner and ask if they can re-scale it. Most of them are amenable to doing so, as its just a % size change when you create the stl.

The frame is probably something you'd have to build, or someone would have to print the frame and reefer as a unit, but that file might be harder to find.

The real units were actually HVAC, providing heating, cooling and ventilation to keep the internal components at a constant, optimal 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

It would be more desirable to have it all printed as one unit and not be doing a lot of fabrication of the frame after the fact.

The only thing I found on Shapeways is an N-scale one, pretty plain.  It does look like the shape of the Reefer I see on the booster cars.

@Richie C. posted:

The real units were actually HVAC, providing heating, cooling and ventilation to keep the internal components at a constant, optimal 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

I'm curious why only two of the cars in the train had the climate control...

Informed speculation:

The two cars with HVAC units are probably  the two forward segments, one per booster, which have the igniters and some associated avionics installed. I guess that somebody probably decided that it would be better to keep the SLS version nice and comfy.

The Lionel booster set (and the MTH version I have) model the Space Shuttle SRBs and transport. That had four motor segments for one booster packed with solid propellant (forward, forward center, aft center, and aft) plus a car with the nose and aft skirt. I don't believe they usually sent the nose/skirt back and forth to Utah, so a typical Shuttle train had eight cars with just the motor segments. And the forward segment cars did NOT have HVAC units.

The Space Launch System (SLS) version of the SRB has an added fifth motor segment ("center center") so an SLS booster train will typically have ten booster cars  (with two having extra amenities). And a "prototypically correct" SLS booster train would have a couple more center segments under the covers.

John

@jwtex posted:

The Space Launch System (SLS) version of the SRB has an added fifth motor segment ("center center") so an SLS booster train will typically have ten booster cars  (with two having extra amenities). And a "prototypically correct" SLS booster train would have a couple more center segments under the covers.

I looked at videos of several booster trains, and I don't know what the "center segments" refers to.  The deviation from the Lionel Rocket Booster train was no passenger car on any of them.  However they all had 10  to 12 booster cars and a total of 11 buffer cars, the lead car has the clearance bars on it.  Some of them had all the buffer cars at the end, not really doing any "buffering".

This one's odd as it has the ten booster sections, but the buffer cars were all bunched at the end of the train!

Here's one with twelve booster sections.  The climate control was on the 2nd and 3rd booster sections.

Another odd one, this one has eleven booster sections, no climate control, and all the buffer cars are on the rear again.

This one has twelve booster sections.

I have something down in the basement. I will have to take a pic of it. I got it sometime in the past. It's an air conditioning unit for modern refer cars. that looks like what you want.

Trouble is, I can't remember where I got them!

Maybe they came from a diecast truck store? ( O scale)

Looks like this:

My MTH set has a box labeled "front segment", two labeled "center segment", and one "aft segment". That's what the Shuttle SRB motor segments (the ones filled with solid propellant) were called. The SLS SRBs have an added center segment (imaginatively called "center center") so there are ten motor segments in a full SLS stack or train. But I guess the train goes with what ever the manifest says.

The buffer cars are placed between booster cars with LOADED segments for multiple reasons like minimizing risk of damaging multiple segments in a derailment or reducing loading on bridges, but empty cars or cars with expended/cleaned segments (basically big but relatively lightweight tubes) don't require the buffers interspersed. So any train heading back to Utah could be put together in any order that's easiest to switch.

Also, note that in the train with twelve booster cars there are two that are different - the red ones with twelve axles rather than eight. One of the videos mentions that those were test cars for carrying booster segments for a different rocket.

GRJ, I think Naveen steered me to those units in this post (if it helps you?)

modern reefers | O Gauge Railroading On Line Forum (ogaugerr.com)

@Engineer-Joe posted:

GRJ, I think Naveen steered me to those units in this post (if it helps you?)

modern reefers | O Gauge Railroading On Line Forum (ogaugerr.com)

I dont think those are available anymore.  I've been looking for the for some time.  Maybe someone on the forum could 3D print them

do you want the black piping too ?

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Has anyone printed the A/C units for the Rocket Booster Train?  I was watching a video or two, and noticed the first couple of booster sections on the train had large A/C units on the booster cars.  These look like a cool addition to the booster train.  Naturally, they'd need that little Carrier logo on them.   I did wonder why all the boosters didn't have that provision, maybe something special about the booster sections in the A/C equipped modules?

I'm surprised that this wasn't an option with the booster car set, there's even slots to mount them on the cars!  You might have to dispense with the brake wheel, but I see the prototype doesn't have those anyway.

John, you photos (all of them) are fantastic……thank you

@AlanRail posted:

do you want the black piping too ?

I would want the black piping, but I cant speak for everyone!

Guys, I'm not going to blow smoke up  your rocket booster, I know nothing about these particular hvac units.  My first job was in hvac (15 years) straight out of school.  More than likely the black piping is flexible duct providing both supply and return air. In my opinion the duct work would be critical on a model to give purpose to the hvac unit. Thanks for posting John, very interesting topic.

@AlanRail posted:

do you want the black piping too ?

Icing on the cake.  I guess that would certainly complete the look!  Of course, one fly in that ointment is that the platform moves in relation to the container on the bed, so the black pipes would have to be flexible for it to work.

@Weener Dog posted:

Guys, I'm not going to blow smoke up  your rocket booster, I know nothing about these particular hvac units.  My first job was in hvac (15 years) straight out of school.  More than likely the black piping is flexible duct providing both supply and return air. In my opinion the duct work would be critical on a model to give purpose to the hvac unit. Thanks for posting John, very interesting topic.

Clearly the black pipes were for the air handler, and indeed they would certainly be crucial in the real world!

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Icing on the cake.  I guess that would certainly complete the look!  Of course, one fly in that ointment is that the platform moves in relation to the container on the bed, so the black pipes would have to be flexible for it to work.

What if you use small springs painted black like (I think it was) harmonyards used for engine-tender hoses? 

You need bigger than small springs for this one.  FWIW, I used small rubber hoses for the MTH Propane Turbine because they were the right size.  However, for these A/C air ducts, they'd have to be much larger to look to scale.

I have been meaning to use flexible resin.

I would think they'd have to be corrugated expanding tubing to work properly.  I tried it on O72 and there isn't too much movement, but on tighter curves, they'd have a lot more flex required.

How about these to use as black HVAC flex ducts?  They are from the tank train cars  

My understanding is that only two of the flatcars had the HVAC units installed because those two flat cars carried the aft segments of the rocket, i.e., the segments with booster nozzles. NASA had increased the size of the nozzles for the new SLS boosters and utilized new materials in their design and the new materials were more sensitive to temperature changes during transit than previous versions.

Since the transport was planned for the middle of summer, installation of HVAC units was needed. UP designed the racks and Carrier produced the units.

Someone mentioned "buffer" cars. Because of the extreme weight of the shipment, placement of the flatcars in the consist was critical and, in order to distribute the weight evenly, "buffer" cars were placed in between each of the flatcars carrying the booster rocket motor segments.  Each "buffer" car was filled with 50,000 pounds of concrete to improve handling of the entire consist.

One other interesting point - the rocket motor flatcars were covered with "clamshell" covers for protection during the shipment. The clamshells, themselves, were outfitted with various instruments and sensors to detect and record g-forces during the trip. Now, if only Lionel had made a working prototypical version of those !

@Steims posted:

How about these to use as black HVAC flex ducts?  They are from the tank train cars  

Looks like a good idea, I'm sure they could be adapted to fit.

Rockets by Rail: A Stellar Achievement

I guess I can dispense with the passenger car at the end of the train, it's not there on the prototype train.  Anyone need a 21" passenger car?

@Richie C. posted:

The real units were actually HVAC, providing heating, cooling and ventilation to keep the internal components at a constant, optimal 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Given they were trying to maintain the 75 degrees throughout the trip I would guess it was a Heat Pump unit with an inverter.

In-progress model design of HVAC unit on booster.

The brake wheel must be removed. It is just press-fitted into the platform.

WOW, that's impressive Alan!  Talk about fast!   Are those end frames separate pieces?

I figured the brake wheel had to go, the prototypes don't have them in any case.  I might just dispense with all the brake wheels on mine.

@AlanRail posted:

I think the air ducts might need more length to droop more so that the car will make corners.

Wow...these are great sign me up!

@Bossman284 posted:

Wow...these are great sign me up!

I figured this topic might draw some interest.  This is the one big detail that is missing from the Booster train.

Those really do look great.  I'd be in as well if you decide to do a production run.  I checked my MTH set and they have the slots as well.  Just let me know what I owe...plus GRJ's fee as well for being the idea man.

Daryl

@DGuill posted:

Those really do look great.  I'd be in as well if you decide to do a production run.  I checked my MTH set and they have the slots as well.  Just let me know what I owe...plus GRJ's fee as well for being the idea man.

Daryl

Ideas are cheap, it's making them happen that runs up the cost!

yeh but GOOD ideas are worth it!

@DGuill posted:

Those really do look great.  I'd be in as well if you decide to do a production run.  I checked my MTH set and they have the slots as well.   ...snip...

Daryl

My two UP and one NASA (with a "transformer? load) have them.

@PRRMP54 posted:

My two UP and one NASA (with a "transformer? load) have them.

Your two UP what?  They didn't come with the Lionel Rocket Booster set.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Rockets by Rail: A Stellar Achievement

I guess I can dispense with the passenger car at the end of the train, it's not there on the prototype train.  Anyone need a 21" passenger car?

Supposedly there was a team of technical experts who monitored the cars and booster segments as they made the seven-day trip to Florida. I wonder if the passenger car was an add-on to the consist for the team to travel in.